Ames, IA
#1 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering (tie)
#111 in National Universities (tie)
Iowa State University dwarfs Ames, the small town in which it resides. The large school offers more than 800 student organizations, and sports are a big part of campus life. The Iowa State Cyclones compete in the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference and share a special rivalry with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Despite the Cyclones moniker, the school mascot is a cardinal named Cy because a cyclone was hard to put into costume form. There are nearly 50 fraternities and sororities at Iowa State, and most chapters have their own houses. Freshmen do not have to live on campus.
There are more than 100 undergraduate majors offered at Iowa State, and, through the Soar in 4 initiative, advisers work with students to ensure they graduate in four years. For a study break, students can take a stroll through the roses in Reiman Gardens or check out more than 2,000 works of art around the campus – one of the largest collections at any school in the country. For trips off campus, Des Moines is 30 minutes away. more
$21,483 (out-of-state), $7,969 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 30,034 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
Purdue University--West Lafayette
West Lafayette, IN
#1 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering (tie)
#60 in National Universities (tie)
Purdue University's West Lafayette, Indiana, campus is the main campus in the Purdue University system, which encompasses four other campuses throughout the state. Nearly 20 percent of students are affiliated with Greek life, and Purdue offers a wide range of activities and organizations. Performance groups include the "All American" Marching Band, four jazz bands and two symphony orchestras. The Boilermakers, Purdue’s athletic teams, compete in the Division I Big Ten Conference and are well known for their dominant men’s and women’s basketball teams. The Boilermaker Special, Purdue’s official mascot, is a railroad locomotive cared for and maintained by the student-run Purdue Reamer Club. Although no students are required to live in university housing, about one-third of undergraduates live on campus. more
$28,804 (out-of-state), $10,002 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 29,497 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
#3 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#44 in National Universities
The University of Illinois is located in the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign in east-central Illinois, only a few hours from Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis. The school’s Fighting Illini participate in more than 20 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are part of the Big Ten Conference. The university boasts the largest Greek system in the world, and almost a quarter of the student body is involved. It’s not hard to find something to do on campus with more than 1,000 student organizations, including professional, political and philanthropic clubs. All freshmen are required to live on campus. more
$31,320 (out-of-state), $15,698 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 33,368 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
Texas A&M University--College Station
College Station, TX
#4 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#74 in National Universities
Ready to be an Aggie? All students assume the nickname at Texas A&M, an academic and athletic powerhouse in central Texas. Once an all-men’s school called the Agricultural and Mechanical College - now shortened to A&M - the university today is coed and has offers a wide variety of majors and activities. Students can choose from more than 800 clubs and organizations, including nearly 60 fraternities and sororities. About 10 percent of students go Greek. More students, about 25 percent, play in Texas A&M intramural sports leagues, one of the largest programs in the country. The school’s varsity sports compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, cheered on by mascot Reveille VIII, a collie. Miss Rev, as the collie is known, is also the highest-ranking member in the school’s Cadet Corps, the largest ROTC program in the nation (not including programs at service academies). First-year students interested in community service can get involved right away through the Freshmen in Service and Hosting program (FISH). All students can give back during The Big Event, the largest single-day, student-run volunteer effort in the country in which more than 15,000 Aggies work to improve the nearby cities of College Station and Bryan. For many students, these communities are also home; freshmen are not required to live on campus and many choose to live in College Station or Bryan. more
$28,768 (out-of-state), $10,176 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 48,960 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
#5 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#50 in National Universities
The University of Florida is about two miles away from downtown Gainesville, a college town bolstered by the school’s nearly 50,000 students. The Florida Gators sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, and are supported by mascots Albert and Alberta the Alligators. The Gator football team, which competes in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium — commonly called the "The Swamp" — is particularly notorious. The team became the namesake of popular sports drink Gatorade in 1966, after freshmen Gators experimented with the novel beverage. The annual Gator Growl, held each Homecoming weekend, has been called the largest student-run pep rally in the world. About 15 percent of students are involved in the school’s 60-plus fraternities and sororities. Freshmen do not have to live on campus, though about 80 percent opt to do so. All students can partake in Gator Nights, held every Friday, which offer free late-night entertainment and a free “midnight breakfast.” more
$28,666 (out-of-state), $6,389 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 35,043 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
#6 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#74 in National Universities
At Virginia Tech, a former military institute with its background in the sciences, students are encouraged to “invent the future.” Students are known as Hokies, a term that was the original rally cry when the school was known as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. Sports teams, also known as the Hokies, compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference, and the school mascot is the HokieBird. Virginia Tech is settled in Blacksburg, a typical college town full of restaurants, bars and clubs. Students account for more than half the total residents in Blacksburg, and they dominate the town's public Blacksburg Transit bus system, which is free for Hokies. On campus, students can go bowling, play pool or try out video games in the BreakZONE. There are also more than 600 clubs and organizations, including a large Greek system of more than 50 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen must live on campus, which puts them in close proximity to the school’s renowned dining facilities. Students can order steak and lobster at Virginia Tech’s West End Market, or grab a meal from on-campus chain restaurants, including Au Bon Pain and Pizza Hut. more
$29,371 (out-of-state), $12,852 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 25,384 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
#7 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#15 in National Universities
Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, has more than 1,000 student organizations on campus, which range from the Big Red Marching Band to the International Affairs Society. First-year students live together on north campus, and the university has housing options for upperclassmen and graduate students, though many choose to live off campus. Cornell has a thriving Greek life, with more than 60 fraternity and sorority chapters. Cornell has more than 30 NCAA Division I varsity teams that compete in the Ivy League. The Cornell Big Red are perhaps best known for their successful men's lacrosse team, which won nine consecutive Ivy League titles from 2003 to 2011. Cornell also has a strong hockey program. more
$50,953 Tuition and Fees 14,315 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
University of California--Davis
Davis, CA
#8 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#44 in National Universities
The University of California—Davis, one of 10 schools in the University of California system, was originally established as a farm school for UC - Berkeley. Located just 15 miles from Sacramento, UC Davis’s campus contains an airport, fire department and a collection of outdoor sculptures called Eggheads. There are more than 500 student organizations on campus in addition to a sizeable Greek community that comprises about 65 fraternity and sorority chapters. All freshmen are guaranteed housing, and after their first year students typically move off campus or live in university apartments. The UC Davis Aggies field more than 20 NCAA Division I teams, and students can join the Aggie Pack, the largest student spirit organization in the country. more
$40,728 (out-of-state), $14,046 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 28,384 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lincoln, NE
#9 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#111 in National Universities
There are about 150 majors to choose from at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln, a large, public institution that is committed to research. All freshmen must live on the school’s campus in downtown Lincoln and can bring cars if they wish. There are more than 400 student organizations to check out, including a large Greek community with more than 40 fraternities and sororities. The UNL athletic squads, known as the Huskers, compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference.
The University of Nebraska also offers a wide variety of graduate departments, including a College of Law, a College of Business Administration, a College of Engineering and a College of Education and Human Sciences. Notable alumni of the University of Nebraska—Lincoln include investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett and television talk show host Johnny Carson. more
$23,148 (out-of-state), $8,628 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 20,182 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more
North Carolina State University--Raleigh
Raleigh, NC
#10 in Biological / Agricultural Engineering
#92 in National Universities
North Carolina State University, also known as NC State, is the largest four-year college in the state. As such, students have a surplus of choices, from more than 100 programs to major in to more than 400 clubs and organizations to join. The university has a large Greek community that fields more than 20 percent of the student body. For other extracurricular activities, students can check out annual events in Raleigh, such as the North Carolina State Fair and Winterfest. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, though about 80 percent choose to. On the sports fields, NC State is known as The Wolfpack and competes in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference.
NC State has a variety of academic departments that serve graduate students, too, including a highly ranked engineering school that's particularly well known for its nuclear and biological/agricultural engineering programs; an education program; and the Jenkins Graduate School of Management. Notable NC State graduates include former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Cullen Jones. more
$26,399 (out-of-state), $8,880 (in-state) Tuition and Fees 24,111 Undergraduate Enrollment SAT, GPA and more